The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-03
THE GOLFERS HUT.

"Grandpar Sylvia began, bending
over to comb his hair with her fingers.
His head rested-where old heads had
been pillowed hundred years before
on the high back of the old, slender,
green armchair.
It was a weather-worn old head. The
storm had swept the thatch from its roof,
except two tangled wisps that hung over
the caves, one above each ear. Thess-
the bruehy locks, of course, and not the
ears-Sylvia was industriously trying to
curl.
They wouldn't curl, and Sylvia didn't
care; she did care very much, as we shall
see, about something else.
She lived in Cornwall, among the gray
old Litchfield hills, that stood-and L
think, still stand-in the northwestern
most Granny of Connecticut.
The folk Of Cornwall are no better than
they ought to be, of course; but, where
except among the readers own kith and
kin = will you find sturdier, kindlier
hearts? and who of them harder, sweeter
than Sylvia2 What little pine knot
she wasi Tough as one, and, l am sure,
could fire up like one if she got afire.
Just now, however, her eyes we're full to
their brims with happy tears. Grandpa
usually kept her laughing, although the
men in the woods thought him rather So
Der.
"Well," he asked, pinching her, 'and
what does missy want out'n grandpa
now?"
"Why, who said 1 wanted anything?'
Sylvia replied, an eager quaver in her
voice. "But 1 do. Mrs. Cotter was a.
talkin' to-day"
"Most ginerally always kinder is" he
interrupted.
"Was a-talkin'," continued Sylvia,
''bout family in P'keepsie that want a
cottage for the summer. Now, there's
that hut up on the Scatikoke, very near
where you're chopin wood"
"Ehl want to fix that up for emp"
grandpa exclaimed. "Cool N airy-like,
and no malary n as quiet as the desert o.
Sahary, n"
'No, grandpa" Sylvia slipped her
arms around his neck and tied her fin
gers in chubby knot under his chin.
"No, want you to rent our house to
them, and let us camp out in that hut"
81 want t. know Grandpa exclaimed
so much astonished that he nodded
right off to sleep.
"When he awoke the warm, soft knot
of fingers was still under his chin, and
the warm pressure of lips on his FORE
head.
81 knew you would" said Sylvia.
"Knew I would Bless me! Who said I
would?" he asked.
But it came to pass. Grandpa told
her to "get that notion cut'n her head"
but notions, when they got into her head,
seemed, like mice caught in trap to for
get the way out.
The next Tuesday morning, Mr.. Marsh
drove up with Jennie and White;oot
hitched to the big wagon, and into it
went boxes and bundles, and chairs and
grandpa, and Towser, the dog, and Syl-
via and Mouser, the kitten, and on the
mountain they went for the summer.
They we're poor and lived alone; she
was housekeeper and maid Of all work,
sometimes making baskets to sell. He, an
oaken. limbed man of nearly sixty, earn.
ed their living by chopping wood for
charcoal.
What a ride that wasl The boughs
that bent to touch them, and all the wav-
ing trees on the mountain, seemed to
give them welcome. The last late leaves
had broken out, and lay paler threads
on the rich wool of foliage, rent here and
there far up by jagged crags, to whose
dizzy edges, shreds Of clouds still chung.
Through other riffs in the leafy wool
were seen piles of pink white laurel bios
SONS driftedEamong the rocks.
Squirrels chartered, birds-now dip
ping restless wings in the shimmering
sunlight, now diving in the cool depths
of the foliage -chirped and trilled; other
mysterious wood-voiees came cheerily
from under the shady boughs, and the
very horses sported as il in hearty good
humor.
AS for Sylvia, her heart ran over again
and again in joyous tears that the wind
tried to dry with her loose tresses.
tlsst they came to the cd collier hut
standing on a 'pit"-a wide round shell
on the mountain side - where charcoal
had once been burned.
When MIR. Marsh had driven off
Sylvia and her grandfather hustled
about like two squirrels fitting up theil
home.
Grandpa had re-roofed the hut witt
fragrant hemlock boughs and earth. HI
now fashioned two rude beds out o.
poles stuck in crotches, and replaced the
fireplace hanging an old crane in it.
Sylvia made the beds, swept and